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Winona Ryder
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Biography

Nickname
Noni
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Height
5' 4"
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Mini biography

Winona Ryder was born Winona Horowitz and named after her the town in which she was born, Winona Minnesota. She grew up in a ranch commune in Northern California where there was no electricity. She is the Goddaughter of Timothy Leary and her parents were friends of Beat poet Allen Ginsberg and once edited a book called "Shaman Woman Mainline Lady" an anthology of writings on the drug experience in literature - this included one piece by Louisa May Alcott. Winona Ryder was later to star as Jo in this author's Little Women (1994). She moved with her parents to Petaluma (near San Francisco) when she was ten and enrolled in acting classes at the American Conservatory Theater. At 13 she had a video audition to the film Desert Bloom (1986), but didn't get the part. Director David Seltzer, however, spotted her and cast her in Lucas (1986). When telephoned to ask how she'd like to have her name appear on the credits, she suggested Ryder as her father's Mitch Ryder album was playing the background. Ryder was selected for the part of Mary Corleone in Godfather: Part III, The (1990), but had to drop out of the role after catching the flu from the strain of doing the films Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990) and Mermaids (1990) back to back. She said she didn't want to let everyone down by doing a substandard performance. Others have suggested that she pulled out from the part because of problems with boyfriend Johnny Depp, with whom she had been going out since she was 17. Depp got a tattoo saying "Winona Forever" put on his biceps. Winona Ryder was set to film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) as a TV movie with Michael Apted, but took the script to Francis Ford Coppola and he agreed to film it. She later made Age of Innocence, The (1993) which was directed by Martin Scorsese, who she believes to be "the best director in the world".
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Trivia


Her real hair color is blonde but when she made her first major film Lucas (1986) her hair color was dyed black and she was told to keep it that color and it has stayed that color since.

Engaged to Matt Damon

Her December 22, 1999 guest spot on "The Tonight Show" was her first ever appearance on a talk show. She did it to promote "Girl Interrupted" (the first film she has executive produced). She clearly had first-timer's jitters, but settled in comfortably.

The name Horowitz is not her actual surname it comes from her grandmother Ethel Horowitz (a Russian immigrant) she revealed in an interview with US Vogue magazine.

(22 March 1999) Injured knee while filming Girl, Interrupted (1999).

(October 1997) Ranked #42 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

(1997) Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.

(1996) Dated David Duchovny

She appeared in Cher's "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" music video.

Born at 11:00am-CDT

She briefly checked herself into a hospital when she was 20, because she was suffering from depression, anxiety attacks, and exhaustion, resulting from constantly working on films.

Dad is Michael Horowitz Mom is Cindy Horowitz Has one sister: Sunyata

Brothers: Jubal and Uri

Appeared with Brittany Murphy in "The Vagina Monologues" (Feb 2000).

Is actually a natural blonde, but has been dyeing her hair since 11.

Graduated from Petaluma High School with a 4.0 GPA
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Personal quotes


(When asked why is she always playing teenagers, during a press junket for Mermaids in 1990) "Like, I'm nineteen. What am I supposed to do, play a judge?!"

Winona Ryder stared in:

Title Year Saw with/at: Scene On Rating
Lucas 1985 With Jessica 0000-00-00 ****
Beetlejuice 1988 With Jessica 0000-00-00 *** 1/2
Heathers 1989 With Jessica 0000-00-00 ****
Edward Scissorhands 1990 With Jessica 0000-00-00 *** 1/2
Mermaids 1990 With Jessica 0000-00-00 ***
Welcome Home Roxy Carmichal 1990 0000-00-00 ** 1/2
Bram Stokers Dracula 1992 With Trish 0000-00-00 ***
Reality Bites 1994 Don't Remember 0000-00-00 ***
Little Women 1994 in Chicago with Anne and Jean 0000-00-00 ***
Autumn in New York 2000 Branford Hoyts with Cheri, Ryan and Daniel 2000-08-14 Bomb
S1m0ne 2002 at Showcase Orange 2002-09-06 ***
Mr. Deeds 2002 Showcase Milford 2002-07-20 *
Star Trek 2009 Wallingford on opening day 2009-05-08 *** 1/2
Black Swan 2010 Suzy 2011-03-20 ***
Frankenwennie 2012 Suzy and Hanna 2013-01-12 * 1/2
Haunted Mansion 2023 Suzy and Lichen 2023-11-25 **
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 2024 Suzy 2024-10-11 **